Eli Kliejunas.
Eli is a Data Analyst at Synergia. Eli is based in the Auckland office.
Eli’s background lies in the intersection between biostatistics, public health, and food systems. Following his Honours year dissertation on the same topic at the University of Auckland, he recently published research analysing a dataset of nearly 2 million New Zealand household food purchases to assess possible associations between demographic variables and households’ per capita dietary emissions (i.e., the emissions stemming from the production and distribution of each food purchased). In his free time, he is currently working on a narrative review of the broader academic literature pairing dietary assessments with environmental impact estimates to study possible connections between demographic factors and dietary emissions.
Working at Synergia since April 2022, Eli has been the lead analyst on several projects investigating the coverage and impact of primary care mental health interventions and hospice care. In his work on the Te Tumu Waiora and Tokū Oranga wellbeing initiatives for Tū Whakaruruhau (also known as the Auckland Wellbeing Collaborative) and Wellsouth (a Primary Health Network), he has applied inferential statistics to examine questions such as:
- Is there a relationship between implementation of primary mental health initiatives and referrals to secondary mental health services? Is this relationship (or the lack thereof) any different for Māori vs. Non-Māori.
- Do measures such as the Hua Oranga reveal a difference in wellbeing for people accessing primary mental health services before and after such interventions? Is the change in wellbeing (or the lack thereof) different for Māori vs. Non-Māori?
Eli’s ability to apply a statistical lens to these types of questions stems in part from his work in 2022 teaching a postgraduate course in Health Statistics at the University of Auckland.
A self-taught programmer in R, Eli is eager to continue honing his statistical analysis and modelling skills to examine complex questions of human wellbeing. He has also developed a keen interest in the safe, responsible application of generative AI technologies in health services. More broadly, Eli is passionate about utilising technology intelligently to advance population-wide health and overall wellbeing.